Dog with 4 prosthetic paws becomes online star

A dog who lost all four paws due to frostbite is now able to run with the help of prosthetics, and has become a star on the Internet, as people watch video footage of him in action.

Naki’o and his litter mates, at only five weeks of age and with their mother dead, were abandoned in a house that was being foreclosed in Nebraska.

Incredible Features reported that Naki'o's paws were damaged when he stepped into an icy puddle in the basement. The pups ended up at a rescue centre, and veterinary technician Christie Tomlinson adopted Naki'o, who crawled along on his stomach to get from place to place.

Tomlinson raised money for a couple of artificial paws, and then the company that made them - OrthoPets - decided to help out by providing two more.

"Even though he was hobbling, he was still just trying to enjoy life," ABC quoted Martin Kaufmann, the founder of OrthoPets, as saying."Naki'o's personality was great."

He added that Naki'o is the the first dog to be fitted with four prosthetic paws.

A young giraffe at a zoo, who was born with a rear-leg deformity, was recently fitted with prosthetic shoes to help her walk, and a miniature horse was in the news earlier this year after receiving an artificial leg.